About Vivienne Matthies-Boon

Vivienne Matthies-Boon will be an Assistant
Professor in the International Relations of the Middle East at the University
of Amsterdam from September 2013.
She focuses on Critical Theory and the Middle East, and works closely
with a variety of Egyptian activists and civil society actors. Her writings can
be found on academia.edu

Constitutional conventions: best practice

From the revolution’s very
beginning in January 2011, western diplomats were keen to reduce the demands of
the Egyptian revolution to a call for formal democracy. In doing this, western
spokesmen and domestic elites ensured that more substantive reforms – such as
an overhaul of the entire socio-economic system – were dropped by the wayside.

After President Morsi’s
Constitutional Declaration providing him with unprecedented sweeping powers,
the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt faces unprecedented protests. Is this a sign of its
political weakness?

Beyond their regrettable cost in terms of human lives, "Innocence of Muslims" and the subsequent protests that spread across the Arab world ultimately entrap the world in a binary entrenchment reminiscent of the civilizational justifications for the War on Terror.

World Forum for Democracy 2017

This year, the theme is ‘populism’. Is the problem fake news or fake democracy? What media, what political parties, what politicians do we need to re-connect with citizens and make informed choices in 21st century democracy?

Civil Society Futures is a national conversation about how English civil society can flourish in a fast changing world.Come and add your voice»

Full coverage of the non-hierarchical conference held in Barcelona on 18-22 June 2017.